The U.S. government is broken. That is how Diane Halpern, a cognitive psychologist at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, Calif., opens her talks on the psychology of political partisanship.

The divisions between the Republican and Democratic parties are so pronounced and polarized these days that Halpern says the current political climate is one that is characterized by hyperpartisanship.

With the parties unable to agree, legislative measures are increasingly being held up in Congress, leading to more acrimony and political gridlock. But understanding cognitive psychology can help individual citizens find ways to hold politicians accountable, and encourage cooperation in the government, Halpern says.